Infographic: Nine inexcusable excuses for ignored invoices

When it comes to unpaid invoices, honesty is the best policy

What’s the worst excuse you’ve ever received from a client for failing to pay their invoice? Here, marketing executive at small business lending platform CCC Finance, Jade Waddy, reveals some frequently used excuses for ignored invoices.

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

– Benjamin Franklin

The above quote from United States founding father Benjamin Franklin perfectly demonstrates how any excuse for a late payment is a poor excuse.

When struggling with finances, it can be understandable that someone may need to bend the truth every now and then to buy more time when you need to cough up the cash that you simply don’t have.

Honesty is the best policy. You’re better off telling the truth about your situation than concocting an elaborate lie which, unfortunately, a surprising amount of people do.

The many bizarre excuses for ignored invoices that I’ve seen have included the following favourites:

Our CEO is on a sailing trip and we can’t get hold of him

Your invoice was unethical, so we won’t be paying

My dog chewed up the invoice

I was temporarily paralysed and couldn’t post the cheque

I wasn’t chased for payment enough

I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, I’ll pay when it’s sunny

Below is an infographic identifying the nine most commonly used excuses for ignored invoices. I’m sure you’ve heard many, if not all, of these before.